Robot and Control Method for Controlling the Robot's Emotions

1. A robot comprising: external information inputting means for inputting information; particular-person specifying means for specifying a particular person based on the information inputted by said external information inputting means; emotion-toward-particular-person information storing means for storing information about emotions toward said particular person specified by said particular-person specifying means; action evaluating means for evaluating actions made by said particular person to said robot; emotion-toward-particular-person information updating means for updating said information about emotions toward said particular person on the basis of the results of evaluation by said action evaluating means; and control means for controlling said robot based on said emotion-toward-particular-person information, said controlling being performed based upon a transition probability automation scheme.

2. The robot according to claim 1 , wherein: said external information inputting means comprises image inputting means; and said particular-person specifying means generates face pattern data based on input image inputted by said image inputting means and specifies a particular person based on the face pattern data.

3. The robot according to claim 1 , further comprising: action determination means for determining actions of said robot; wherein said action determination means determines actions of said robot based on said emotion-toward-particular-person information.

4. The robot according to claim 1 , further comprising: emotion modeling means including emotional parameters which are used for determining emotions of said robot; wherein the values of said emotional parameters are changed based on said emotion-toward-particular-person information.

5. A robot comprising: external information inputting means for inputting information; particular-person specifying means for specifying a particular person based on the information inputted by said external information inputting means; emotion-toward-particular-person information storing means for storing information about emotions toward said particular person specified by said particular-person specifying means; action evaluating means for evaluating actions made by said particular person to said robot; emotion-toward-particular-person information updating means for updating said information about emotions toward said particular person on the basis of the results of evaluation by said action evaluating means; and control means for controlling said robot based on said emotion-toward-particular-person information; wherein said external information inputting means comprises image inputting means; and said particular-person specifying means generates face pattern data based on input image inputted by said image inputting means and specifies a particular person based on the face pattern data; and wherein said emotion-toward-particular-person information comprises information on whether to have a favorable impression or a disfavorable impression toward said particular person.